WSU announces proposed 2013 budget and tuition increase
A focus on student success through experiential learning opportunities. Increased private-public partnerships with the region. Advancements in defense and technology research. These and other things were part of the 2013 Budget Presentation held in Wright State University’s Apollo Room May 24th.
The campus community gathered at the annual Board of Trustees Budget Presentation as Wright State University President David Hopkins and Vice President for Business and Fiscal Affairs Mark Polatajko explained Wright State’s proposed fiscal year 2013 budget. Polatajko took over on January 1 for Matthew Filipic, who retired from his position as Senior Vice President to join the faculty of the Political Science Department.
The Strategic Plan shapes the forward movement of the University, Hopkins explained, and it, combined with the University’s Mission Statement, are a foundation for crafting the budget. The current Strategic Plan expires this year, and community involvement will be next year in the drafting of a new one to meet expanding growth. The proposed operating budget is $301 million.
Included are $12.1 million in state funds to create a Neuroscience Engineering Collaboration building between White Hall and Russ Engineering Center and a $10 million bond issuance for a Classroom Building between University Hall and Hamilton Hall as well as a commons building for residence students.
Also included are deferred maintenance projects for energy efficiency, regulatory compliance, and waste management scheduled to save $1.3 million annually. “I think that [sustainability spending] is a good idea because in the long run it can be beneficial,” says Katy Barber, a junior Biology student.
Wright State has expanded its net assets to $411 million, with a 52% point-to-point increase in assets from 2001 to 2011, according to Polatajko. He further explains that Wright State’s expenditures on non-academic programming was below that of nine of the other thirteen members of the University System of Ohio, nearly 35% below that of Ohio State. Non-academic programming are services such as student life, building maintenance, and budget planning and are scheduled to consume $93 million in funds.
“At first, it seems like a lot, but it really takes a lot of resources to maintain and plan for a university,” says Kourtney Yarger, a Spanish and French double major. Wright State’s budget has grown slowly since 2006, stymied by an 18.1% cut in state support for higher education while over the same period enrollment grew by over 20%, according to State Higher Education Executive Officers.
Although Ohio has drastically cut its state support for higher education, Wright State has managed to move its tuition from nearly $1400 more than the state average in 2007 to below the state average in 2011, according to the report. Included in the presentation was a request to increase student tuition and fees by 3.5%, the maximum amount allowed by law, for next year. This increase is from $8070 for 2011-2012 to $8354 for 2012-2013.
The Board of Trustees is scheduled to vote on this increase at their June meeting.
To view the Budget Presentation online, visit http://www.wright.edu/administration/bpra/documents/FY13BudgetPresentation.pdf.
